The Washington critic., 1887-07-21
"HoME RULE FOR AMERICA"

HOME RULE FOR AMERICA"
This movement on the Pacific Coast finds
an emphatic sympathlZer In this Eastern eN
tremo of tho continent IN 1HE WASHINGTON
CIlTIc, which ocloe, tho cry for what Is
practically now Know 30 Ang party. It
clamors for Homo Rule Tor America"
Whatever there Is of substance in the plat.
form advocated is the exclusion uf workin;
people, There Is no need for a new party to
exclude pau erS and criminals ur even An
nrchsts publlt sentiment Is practically u
unit In these pa'ticl.r,, ald tho laws al-
ready exist To combat the cvil The trouble
is that they are nu' emf. ccd
The United States + yet the most sparsely
populated by far ui the great civill2 VI coun.
tries. stree It became nation, hundred
years ago. immigration hI4 been largely IN.
strumontnl IN making It what It l., Its powers
of assimilation gre very great, and Immigrants
become heart end soul AmcricIn citizens
with marvellous unGultnfy. We arc the last
people In The world to stop immigration. II
would be hcsrtless, Injurious and stu,tiy-
ing act. The Antiimmigrltion party viii DO
q very short lived one New York World,
THE CRIriC agrees with the World
that 1t would be "heartless, injurious
an stutilying act To "stop immigra-
ton" We are not aware that such
policy is anywhere advocated,
1t is quite obvious, however, from
the character of large proportion Of
the foreign immigration landed on our
shores In the last ten or fifteen years
that something ought to be done toward
its better regulation and the exclusion
Of its obnoxious and undesirable ele-
ments.
OF the 5,i00, 900 immigrants that have
arrived In the United States since 1873
abous 100000 are classified as "un-
skilled laborers," over 100000 as
"having no occupation whatever" and
only 5ss, 800 as skilled laborers.
Statistics are not at hand to show the
ratio of crime, illiteracy and pauperism
thus contributed to the American body
polite, but every large city--partlcu.
larly the commercial and manufactur.
ing centres-can readily form some
estimate for itself on this point.
II Is from this source that Is re.
cruited the grand army of lawless agi-
tators which forms constant menace
10 the peace of society and safety Of
property; Of reckless conspirators who
infest the workingmen's organizations
and bring them into dlsrepute, and
their good intentions to naught; of
Iuflians and Ishmaeiles whose hands
are against every form OF social order
and human COVE rnment; Of moral and
political lepers, heslta,ing at no crime
that brutal pa sion or lust Of money
may suggest; of imported contract
laborers, by whom honest men are
crowded out of their legitimate place
and forced into strikes and starvation
But, says the World! Public senti.
ment is practically Vi 1" as to these
particulars, and "laws already exist to
combat the evil. TIE trouble is that
Mey arc not enforced" "
What is the reason that they are not
enforced?
Does our esteemed New York con.
temporary believe that these evils
would continue and these laws remain
dead letter, were public sentiment re-
inforced by an active and aggre 'slve
organization, demanding not only tina,
existing statutes be vigorously admin
istered, but that other and still more
stringent ordinances be enacted?
1t Is not true that such an organIza-
tion as is proposed bears any semblance
or kinship to the old Know Nothing
party. That was party of signs and
grips and secret rituals, and of an un.
r. asoning antagonism to the Catholic
Church. 1t was nothing more than on
evanescent scheme of political ward
leaders. No party in this country
can be otherwise than evanescent,
which is founded simply on prejudice
of race or religion.
"Home Rule for America" Is quite
another thing, based upon broad sub
stratum Of reason, and imbued with
living and wholesome principles.
1t is not -Nothingism, but
Know. .Somethingism. 1t knows what
the interests of the people and govern.
ment require It knows what remedies
should be applied 1t knows that there
is growing "clamor' for just such
an organization us the World affects Ia
desplse and sees n occasion for.
1t was the clamor for political repre-
seniation that brought about the indie
prudence of the American colonies.
1t was the clamor of the liberty
loving citizeus of the Union that re
suited in the deliverance of the Unitet
States from the curse of slavery.
1t Is the clamor Of m intelligent, law
abiding, hard-worklng, patriotic peo
Pile that will finally compel III
enactment and enforcement of law
whereby this country, while continuing
10 enjoy all the substantial benefits o
foreign immigration, shall be saved tn
further inhictlon of its peslilentIa
evils.
Ii will be short lived" party, sug
gests the Worldj but fit lives lon!
enc ugh TO accomplish the grand ma
iional objects for which 1t is said to b.
established, 1t will have lived lonl
enough and to anoble purpose.
1t would seem that the two grea
parties Of the day have In great meas
ure outlived their usefulness already
GENERAL CoGGswELL, Republlca,
Congressman. elect from the Salem dis
trlct of Massachusetts,, says that tn
Democrats will have fourteen maiorit!
In the Fiftieth Congress, "but the.
won't be able TO do anything with tn
tariff" Yet General Coggswell is him
self in favor of a reduction of the tariff
Quite. a number of Republicans are o